The Auckland Māori Housing Summit will be held on Monday 23 April, convened jointly by Te Matapihi and the Independent Māori Statutory Board.

The summit is an opportunity for Auckland iwi and Māori providers to discuss housing issues with key ministers. It will be attended by Hon Phil Twyford (Minister for Housing and Urban Development) and Hon Nanaia Mahuta (Minister for Māori Development).

A key focus will be on opportunities for the Crown to partner with Māori to deliver its KiwiBuild scheme. KiwiBuild aims to house up to 20,000 Māori whānau nationally and will see 50,000 affordable homes built in Auckland over the next decade.

Auckland’s housing crisis is unrelenting, and with Māori home ownership rates more than 20% below the national average (Census 2013), the need for affordable housing is even more severe.

Most Auckland iwi have now settled or are close to settling their Treaty claims. Many are already actively involved in housing development, with both social and economic imperatives. Māori service providers also have an increasingly important role in supporting the growing numbers of whānau that experience housing deprivation.

Te Matapihi, national advocates for Māori housing, are encouraged by the government’s proactive stance in working with Māori. Chairperson, Rau Hoskins says:

“Māori housing statistics have been abysmal since the 1990’s when the Department of Māori Affairs was disestablished. We now have an historic opportunity to reset the way the government partners with Māori to deliver housing, including projects on crown land. In our engagement with ministers we have seen a real willingness to do so. We will be doing our best to ensure this commitment is matched with adequate resourcing.”

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